Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, was released on Wednesday after being abducted by Russian forces on March 11.
“Thank you for not abandoning me.” On the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ivan Fedorov did not hide his relief. The mayor of Melitopol, a city in southern Ukraine controlled by Russian forces since the invasion, was abducted on March 11 by Russian soldiers, while he was on his way to the crisis center. On the CCTV images, we could make out the city councilor, a black bag on his head, being embarked by armed soldiers.
An image of the kidnapping of Ivan Fedorov, March 11, 2022. © Deputy Head For President’s Office, Ukraine / Handout / Reuters
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Shortly after, a former elected municipal official known for her pro-Russian positions, Galina Danilchenko, had taken over, recalls CNN. She had denounced those who wanted to “destabilize the situation to provoke a bad reaction” and displayed a goal: “To take all the decisions necessary for the city to live again in a normal way”.
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“We do not abandon ours”
In a video posted on Facebook, Ivan Fedorov thanked Volodymyr Zelensky and expressed encouragement: “Together we will overcome and erect our Ukrainian flag in the central square of Melitopol!” “I thank the residents of Melitopol who were not afraid to defend their positions, to go to demonstrations and to declare that we Ukrainians are free people. I want to thank all the inhabitants who supported me from a distance during my six days of captivity. I thank the friends of Melitopol who defended the interests of our city on the national and international stages, and did everything possible and impossible for my release.” “We are not abandoning ours”, replied to the city councilor the Ukrainian president, who was pleased that “our man held” to requests for cooperation from Russia. “He didn’t give up. As we all hold.”
Президент України @ZelenskyyUa поспілкувався зі звільненим із полону мером Мелітополя Іваном Федоровим.
“Мы не бросаем наших”, – зазначив Президент. pic.twitter.com/Uiyj9gF1RQ
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 16, 2022
The release of Ivan Fedorov was made possible thanks to an exchange between Ukrainian and Russian authorities: the former released nine captured military conscripts. “Russia received nine soldiers born in 2002 and 2003. They are children,” explained Darya Zarivnaya, one of the spokespersons for the Ukrainian presidency.
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